exerpts from an email that a friend sent to my brother in law (both were also eagle drivers)

Interesting comments; Mac told me about the "full burner"......fuel burn-down for explosive bolt "launch", and the 250kt gear problem as the "Streak" accelerated better than a '65 GTO!!

He told me the engineers told them(pilots) to raise gear handle at first indication of airspeed to avoid 250 gear limit. Mac also said the weight removed from the jet, ie, radar, rails, tanks, anything hanging, was replaced by test equipment, so final weight was very close to average line A-model Eagle.


Very interesting about go-around as Mac did tell me he went around on first landing attempt because even at idle it floated and wouldn't slow down; also "mentioned" low fuel state during second landing, final-turn, thinking about how it would "affect my resume" to eject from the Streak Eagle due to fuel starvation...he ended up shutting one engine down just prior to the flare to get it down, so I guess that was him..?? He did say "it was quite a ride"...understatement.

FWIW, on my last flight in Europe over the North Sea, I had a C-model up to 61,000 feet. It had a centerline tank so limit was 1.5 Mach, but it was still climbing at over 6,000/min at about 15 degrees nose high and showed no signs of being out of breath...I think the indicated speed was in the 300 range. After six years of flying it, I would be amazed as it would do things daily that were incredible performance-wise. It was/is an amazing airplane; so lucky to have flown it.